“Defenders of Israel” http://blogs.jta.org/ENTRY_PERMALINK_HERE/defenders-of-israel/ JTA’s Ron Kampeas reflects on being identified in The New York Review of Books as one of Israel’s leading defenders in the blogosphere. en-us rkampeas@jta.org Copyright 2009 2009-07-28T;02:23:00-05:00 Comment by Earl Shugerman eshugerman@gmail.com If 25% of pre-1967 Israelis are non-Jews, is the pro-Israeli lobby overly pro-Muslim? Many American Jews are against Zionism. Most Christians are pro-Israeli. Israel buys 20% of its arms from The United States which is 3% of our G.N.P. that is the aid that we get from Uncle Sam.  Otherwise, most of the sterotypes associated with the situation here are just that. What pratical and relalistic steps can remove the last obstatcle to peace here. Hamas is strongly influenced by Iran which is Israels only remaining real threat. I just returned from a pleasant trip to Jordan and will visit Egypt next year. The West Bank and Israel are making progress and the border is quiet. Where is this great crisis and threat to humanity? Why are we not talking about Iran? How about peace between The United Sates and Cuba or Venezuela? Earl in Haifa If 25% of pre-1967 Israelis are non-Jews, is the pro-Israeli lobby overly pro-Muslim? Many American Jews are against Zionism. Most Christians are pro-Israeli. Israel buys 20% of its arms from The United States which is 3% of our G.N.P. that is the aid that we get from Uncle Sam.  Otherwise, most of the sterotypes associated with the situation here are just that. What pratical and relalistic steps can remove the last obstatcle to peace here. Hamas is strongly influenced by Iran which is Israels only remaining real threat. I just returned from a pleasant trip to Jordan and will visit Egypt next year. The West Bank and Israel are making progress and the border is quiet. Where is this great crisis and threat to humanity? Why are we not talking about Iran?
How about peace between The United Sates and Cuba or Venezuela?

Earl in Haifa

]]> 2012-02-10T;12:44:00-05:00 Comment by Peter Katel pkatel@cqpress.com Congratulations to RK for citing the great but unfortunately obscure “In Old Moscow"/"My Darling Party Line.” For those unfamiliar with this classic of an exceedingly small genre - English-language anti-Stalinist folk music - it’s part of a collection entitled “Ballads for Sectarians,” written and sung by Tom Glazer and Bill Friedland. I realize that the piece doesn’t hang on this song, but references to the Glazer/Friedland oeuvre are so rare that they deserve mention. “Bill Bailey, the Ultimate Sectarian,” another gem from the collection, might come in handy for citing some day. Congratulations to RK for citing the great but unfortunately obscure “In Old Moscow"/"My Darling Party Line.” For those unfamiliar with this classic of an exceedingly small genre - English-language anti-Stalinist folk music - it’s part of a collection entitled “Ballads for Sectarians,” written and sung by Tom Glazer and Bill Friedland.

I realize that the piece doesn’t hang on this song, but references to the Glazer/Friedland oeuvre are so rare that they deserve mention. “Bill Bailey, the Ultimate Sectarian,” another gem from the collection, might come in handy for citing some day.

]]> 2012-02-10T;12:44:00-05:00 Comment by LanceThruster lancethruster@atheistnetwork.net As to Mr. Pitkowsky’s observation, the real question is does it resonate through the echo chamber? Quite often broadcast media use print articles as the jump off point for their coverage. Do they follow up on these pieces and fully explore what they mean to the American political system? Just as something can be buried in the back pages and still provide cover that a particular story was addressed, mere mention of the Lobby while parroting the conventional wisdom is not that astonishing. Depending on the writer and the audience, the assertions are either accepted as unremarkable or lambasted. Look at how the subject of Jews and Hollywood is treated. Some will attack that observation as a canard whereas Jews within the industry will talk openly of their dominance and influence. As to the comment, “however repulsive Finkelstein’s views”, I find his truth-telling far more palatable than the endless lies and spin coming from the Israel - right or wrong crowd. As to Mr. Pitkowsky’s observation, the real question is does it resonate through the echo chamber? Quite often broadcast media use print articles as the jump off point for their coverage. Do they follow up on these pieces and fully explore what they mean to the American political system? Just as something can be buried in the back pages and still provide cover that a particular story was addressed, mere mention of the Lobby while parroting the conventional wisdom is not that astonishing.

Depending on the writer and the audience, the assertions are either accepted as unremarkable or lambasted. Look at how the subject of Jews and Hollywood is treated. Some will attack that observation as a canard whereas Jews within the industry will talk openly of their dominance and influence.

As to the comment, “however repulsive Finkelstein’s views”, I find his truth-telling far more palatable than the endless lies and spin coming from the Israel - right or wrong crowd.

]]> 2012-02-10T;12:44:00-05:00 Comment by Michael Pitkowsky mpitkowsky@gmail.com Massing is also wrong when he said that “Until recently, the activities of pro-Israel lobbying groups like AIPAC were all but ignored by reporters fearful of being branded anti-Semitic or anti- Israel.” I used my journalistic skills (lol) and did some searching on the internet for some articles which discuss the Israel lobby.  My results, without even using any sophisticated databases, are the following articles which discuss AIPAC and the Israel Lobby: 1.  Time Magazine,"Foreign Policy:  American Jews and Israel,” March 10, 1975 2.  Time Magazine, “The Agony Over Israel” May 7, 1990. 3.  Time Magazine, “Diplomacy Thou Shalt Not Build,” Sept. 30, 1991 4.  Newsweek, “Bush Vs. The Israel Lobby,” Sept. 23, 1991 5.  Newsweek, “The Coming Cutbacks in Military Money,” March 18, 1991 6.  Newsweek, “A Marriage on the Rocks,” Sept. 30, 1991 7.  Newsweek, “Sununu and the Jews,” July 8, 1991 8.  Newsweek, “Bush Bashes Israel,” March 3, 1992 9.  NY Times, “The Power of Washington’s Israel Lobby,” Nov. 8, 1981 10. NY Times, “Pro-Israel Lobby Readies for Fight,” Sept. 15, 1991 11.  NY Times, “Pro-Israel Lobby’s Low Key Power,” March 24, 1984 The list goes on and on.  One thing that the internet definitely has made easier is finding out when people are making claims that are just plain untrue. Massing is also wrong when he said that “Until recently, the activities of pro-Israel lobbying groups like AIPAC were all but ignored by reporters fearful of being branded anti-Semitic or anti- Israel.” I used my journalistic skills (lol) and did some searching on the internet for some articles which discuss the Israel lobby.  My results, without even using any sophisticated databases, are the following articles which discuss AIPAC and the Israel Lobby:

1.  Time Magazine,"Foreign Policy:  American Jews and Israel,” March 10, 1975
2.  Time Magazine, “The Agony Over Israel” May 7, 1990.
3.  Time Magazine, “Diplomacy Thou Shalt Not Build,” Sept. 30, 1991
4.  Newsweek, “Bush Vs. The Israel Lobby,” Sept. 23, 1991
5.  Newsweek, “The Coming Cutbacks in Military Money,” March 18, 1991
6.  Newsweek, “A Marriage on the Rocks,” Sept. 30, 1991
7.  Newsweek, “Sununu and the Jews,” July 8, 1991
8.  Newsweek, “Bush Bashes Israel,” March 3, 1992
9.  NY Times, “The Power of Washington’s Israel Lobby,” Nov. 8, 1981
10. NY Times, “Pro-Israel Lobby Readies for Fight,” Sept. 15, 1991
11.  NY Times, “Pro-Israel Lobby’s Low Key Power,” March 24, 1984

The list goes on and on.  One thing that the internet definitely has made easier is finding out when people are making claims that are just plain untrue.

]]> 2012-02-10T;12:44:00-05:00